I suspect it was mostly due to your last paragraph, which, in addition to being incorrect, was also highly offensive. But then you knew that.

Interesting, I suppose I could have stated:

This is EXACTLY what Conservatives are; largely educated, government independent, mostly Christian, "work for it myself" mentality, focused on results and not blame, pro life, etc etc, but you get the picture.

I could copy paste 100's of statements against people that truly are inaccurate and offensive, but it's not worth it in a forum when the mods take sides.

No way they're focused on results not blame. When they are successful it's because they built it. When they fail it's because someone got in the way.

There's a certain line when it comes to offensiveness. You crossed it. Plenty of others have crossed it before as well, and I've seen plenty of posts removed because of it.

Judging from conservative media though, conservatives tend to have a rather severe persecution complex. Anytime they get their feathers ruffled, suddenly there's a war against something they hold dear.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell (I think...)

I suspect it was mostly due to your last paragraph, which, in addition to being incorrect, was also highly offensive. But then you knew that.

Interesting, I suppose I could have stated:

This is EXACTLY what Conservatives are; largely educated, government independent, mostly Christian, "work for it myself" mentality, focused on results and not blame, pro life, etc etc, but you get the picture.

I could copy paste 100's of statements against people that truly are inaccurate and offensive, but it's not worth it in a forum when the mods take sides.

Mr. Tact wrote on Oct 29, 2012, 15:25:I didn't read all the posts in this topic, I got tired after the first 20 or so. Anyway, I just wanted to comment that if you want to try to understand politics in the US you first need to realize this:

In a June 2012 Gallup poll in the US, 46% of the respondents said they thought the Earth was only 10,000 years old.

When you start there... well, there isn't much to say.

I shudder to think of the percentage of GOP congressmen that would answer that way too. It definitely does explain why they seem to be living in an entirely different reality than the rest of us.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell (I think...)

I didn't read all the posts in this topic, I got tired after the first 20 or so. Anyway, I just wanted to comment that if you want to try to understand politics in the US you first need to realize this:

In a June 2012 Gallup poll in the US, 46% of the respondents said they thought the Earth was only 10,000 years old.

Wowbagger_TIP wrote on Oct 29, 2012, 13:20:That study was pretty pointless. I think people at either extreme are pretty nuts, but I think that conservatives tend to define anyone to the left of their position as extreme anyway. Obama is a centrist by any objective measure, yet conservatives try to paint him as a some kind of radical socialist extremist. It's utterly ridiculous, but that certainly doesn't seem to bother them.

Don't paint us all with the same brush. The vast majority of Conservatives I've met are quite moderate and do not do what you claim there. I am fairly Conservative and I wouldn't either. I have nothing but indifference for many extreme Conservative points and I think religion is an utter waste of time and money. That said, the left has its own closet full of villains and extremists just as we do. Some ideas are just inherently liberal or rooted in socialism, I'm not saying that is a Bad Thing either. I really do want a national health care system, I just don't like the way Obama has attacked the problem, not that Romney necessarily has a great solution either.

Just like Democrats aren't defined by their extreme left, don't define Conservatives by the extreme right.

First of all, I'm not a Democrat nor a conservative, nor a liberal. I'm an independent that leans right on some things, like gun control, tax code and education, left on others like gay marriage and abortion, and libertarian on some things like the drug war. I don't fall neatly into any category.

Maybe I am painting with too broad a brush, but since the spokespeople for "conservatives" today are either insane themselves, or at least siding with those who are, it's difficult to determine whether there actually are any moderate conservatives left. I assume that if there are, they are the fabled swing voters, and I would hope they're leaning to Obama on this one, as I'd rather not have to endure all the crazy that will come tagging along with a Romney administration. Republican candidates can't seem to go more than a few days without saying something offensive or just plain crazy. We've got enough assholes and morons in Congress already. We don't need more and we don't need to further enable those that are there.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell (I think...)

Wowbagger_TIP wrote on Oct 29, 2012, 13:20:That study was pretty pointless. I think people at either extreme are pretty nuts, but I think that conservatives tend to define anyone to the left of their position as extreme anyway. Obama is a centrist by any objective measure, yet conservatives try to paint him as a some kind of radical socialist extremist. It's utterly ridiculous, but that certainly doesn't seem to bother them.

Don't paint us all with the same brush. The vast majority of Conservatives I've met are quite moderate and do not do what you claim there. I am fairly Conservative and I wouldn't either. I have nothing but indifference for many extreme Conservative points and I think religion is an utter waste of time and money. That said, the left has its own closet full of villains and extremists just as we do. Some ideas are just inherently liberal or rooted in socialism, I'm not saying that is a Bad Thing either. I really do want a national health care system, I just don't like the way Obama has attacked the problem, not that Romney necessarily has a great solution either.

Just like Democrats aren't defined by their extreme left, don't define Conservatives by the extreme right.

Not that I give a shit about studies, life experiences cannot be taught -- most of my liberal friends are largely pessimist and quick to blame others for their own problems. I have a rich liberal associate who readily admits she "Can afford to be liberal", which says all oh so much more than most liberals could comprehend.

So ya Cutter, you just proved to me you are 100% bred Liberal parrot.

Insulting and labeling while pointing out supposed studies and timelines in a pretentious "matter of fact" way -- without presenting a single study or timeline even when specifically asked multiple times.

That, Cutter, is EXACTLY what liberals are. I did miss out the largely uneducated, government dependent, mostly atheist, GimmeGimmeGimme mentality, always at the ready "blame finger", pro murdering unborn children, etc etc, but you get the picture.

That study was pretty pointless. I think people at either extreme are pretty nuts, but I think that conservatives tend to define anyone to the left of their position as extreme anyway. Obama is a centrist by any objective measure, yet conservatives try to paint him as a some kind of radical socialist extremist. It's utterly ridiculous, but that certainly doesn't seem to bother them.

Most of Obama's "liberal" positions are things that Republicans were supporting in recent decades. Since Republicans keep marching to the right though, they think they can keep redefining the center as where they happen to be at the moment. It's bizarre.

The Republicans always speak of freedom and liberty, but only for those that are at least mostly like themselves. Religious freedom for Muslims? No way. We can prohibit them from building a mosque to replace an old building because we think it's too close to Ground Zero. Screw their religious freedom, freedom to assemble, freedom to purchase property and make use of it. All the while supporting Bush and his best buddies the Saudis, where most of the 9-11 terrorists were from. All the while supporting the rights of conservatives and Christians to say and do things that are offensive because the Constitution protects their speech. But when it's something they don't like, then it's fuck the Constitution, we don't like those guys. They're anti-American, blah blah blah. Conservatives seem to live in a permanent state of cognitive dissonance.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell (I think...)

Cutter wrote on Oct 29, 2012, 11:56:Since when does that matter? You're our largest trading partner. When your economy goes south it's bad for us too so we have a vested interest in seeing it doesn't get fucked up by the GOP as usual.

Relax, it's not a put down. I spend over half the year in Canada at our Canadian subsidiary. I just wouldn't expect the average Canadian to be intimately aware of Conservative US policy. That said we live in the age of the internet and perhaps I'm not giving people enough credit. I would be interested in the answer just to see how educated either of you are on Conservative policy

Oh look, another pretentious Hollywood liberal trying to tell people what's best. Gee, you'd think that people would have learned to ignore them by now, especially when they use DNC talking points.

Oh look, someone who thinks it's ok to dismiss other people's opinions out of hand, or based on what they do for a living, rather than actually present an argument. I guess I need to learn to ignore people like you. I bet that that guy has created a hell of a lot more jobs than Romney or Ryan have.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell (I think...)

Nucas wrote on Oct 29, 2012, 11:39:i would be very interested in hearing which policies mitt romney and paul ryan are planning to enact you specifically think will benefit you, or the nation. i do not anticipate a response.

He's Canadian.

Since when does that matter? You're our largest trading partner. When your economy goes south it's bad for us too so we have a vested interest in seeing it doesn't get fucked up by the GOP as usual.

“That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!”

Nucas wrote on Oct 29, 2012, 11:06:i've tried to understand how "conservatives" like that guy think, and how to penetrate their armor, but it's really like having a favorite sports team to them. they will never, ever allow themselves to see the truth because (i'm assuming) they've internalized it/made it part of their personal identity and become angry when you present facts that contradicts what they think because they perceive it as a personal attack. it's depressing. they get so angry and argue so obstinately to dismantle their own livelihood on behalf of the super-rich. i can't even argue with them anymore.

You said it perfectly. This is the cognitive disconnect that is conservatism. They're exactly like spoiled children, believing what they want, denying what they don't like in spite of the evidence in front of them. They're completely irrational and hypocritical both in how they think and act. And as I stated prior, the irony is that those people wouldn't survive a month without the government and the services it provides. Indeed, how can you argue with people who make their own lives - and lives of others - worse on behalf of those whose only interest is to exploit them? That's just not intelligent. Which is why several studies - including a major one at the university of Michigan - have conclusively shown a corresponding lack of intelligence and education in the far right. They are naturally prone to paranoia and anger as well. They're very easily led so long as you tell them what they want to hear, regardless of what you actually do. This is why most countries will never work in the long run and I see us moving back to more a city-state type government.

“That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!”

Nucas wrote on Oct 29, 2012, 11:39:i would be very interested in hearing which policies mitt romney and paul ryan are planning to enact you specifically think will benefit you, or the nation. i do not anticipate a response.